


gravel in your soul

by smartlike



Category: Smallville
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-09-15
Updated: 2013-09-15
Packaged: 2017-12-26 14:41:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 864
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/967140
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/smartlike/pseuds/smartlike
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Pete, after Smallville.</p>
            </blockquote>





	gravel in your soul

**Author's Note:**

> Beta by C.  
> Originally posted at http://www.obsessivetendencies.net/am/

In Wichita, Pete drinks something like nine glasses of water a day. He never liked water that much. He doesn't know if the air is drier or if it's just to give him something to do with his hands. Either way, his mouth always tastes cold and vaguely metallic. Minerals in the water, he guesses and he could probably have his mom buy one of those filter things for the tap, but he doesn't.

*

Christmas in Smallville and Pete thinks of perfectly posed families on holiday cards. His dad used to make them all wear red and green. Now Pete only knows one family that would look whole on a card and he has to fight the desire to ask his brother to take him to Clark's right from the airport. When Pete arrives at his father's house that isn't "home" any more, he sees that the Kents didn't take a photo after all, that they just sent a store-bought card with gold angels dancing across the front. 

*

Chloe smiles, her teeth white as the snow melting into her red coat and the scar over her eyebrow darker than the skin all around it. Pete tries not to stare at it, tries harder not to touch it and ends up with his gloved hand floating in the air between them.

"I did an internship, too," Pete tells her. "With the chief of staff for one of the state reps. Not the one who tried to buy the election."

Chloe's nose still wrinkles when she laughs because something has to be the same.

*

Clark is facing away from Pete, pressed against Lex and Pete tilts his head thinking that maybe a new angle will make the picture mean something else, like in art class. Lex nods at Pete, smirk in place, and lifts his fingers from Clark's waist in greeting and dismissal. Lex has always made Pete think of chemistry class, of volatile solutions in thin glass, so Pete bites his lip and waves back before leaving the loft. 

Outside, he looks at the rusting basketball hoop, his neck aching slightly, and silently disagrees with whoever said that knowledge is power.

*

Pete tells Chloe because no one told him he couldn't and part of him thinks that if he tells enough secrets, things will balance out and then maybe he can come home. But, he's barely started telling his story when he realizes that Chloe already knows.

She smiles and rolls her eyes and it might not actually be directed at Pete, but he still doesn't stop himself from thinking that she's only okay with this because at least it's not Lana.

*

Pete doesn't tell Lana because why would he? He remembers growing up with her-- he once stole her pink sand pail to trap a spider and broke the handle-- but he doesn't remember ever really talking to her about anything important. Pete doesn't tell her, but he spends the entire dinner at Chloe's trying to figure out if Lana knows. As Chloe's handing him a mug of cocoa smothered in whipped cream, Pete decides that if Lana does know, she doesn't care. Paris apparently left her with more than a slight accent.

*

Clark stands at the door with a poorly wrapped box clutched in his hands. He smiles-- Pete thinks it looks more crooked than it did when he left town-- and Pete joins him on the porch. Inside the box is a cd by a band Pete doesn't know, a scarf that he can tell right away Mrs. Kent knitted and a book about politics. Pete pulls out the book and flips it over, scanning the blurb on the back.

"I thought after your internship, you might--" Clark stops when Pete nods, smiling. 

"Thanks." Pete sets the book on top of the scarf. He breathes in cold air and is almost surprised not to taste metal. He stares at the green wool under his hand for a few seconds before stepping back and inviting Clark inside. Clark smiles too wide for his face and Pete feels like he's done something wrong. He decides not to ask about Lex.

*

The trip down main street seems shorter now than it did when Pete lived here. He tries to walk slowly, but Clark keeps getting ahead and Pete has to speed up. 

Chloe's talking about a story, of course, when Pete stops to stare at the Talon. It's a hair salon now and Pete never really liked coffee, anyway, but he misses the smell.

"Lex sold it right after Lana left," Chloe says. "I didn't think she'd really do it."

Pete nods. His father is waiting at home to take Pete back to the airport and he's not even leaving anything behind to sell.

*

Home again and there's one more day before Pete goes back to the school that still surprises him with unlearned corridors and classrooms. Pete waits for his mom to come home from work so they can have their Christmas dinner. He watches college basketball on tv and twists the plastic band around and around his water bottle until it breaks between his fingers. He doesn't think about his vacation at all.


End file.
